Transform Kenosha's walls with your artistry

Types of Murals

Depending on the location, murals will be painted on primed walls or on mounted Panels attached to a building wall

Materials 

Expenses for all painting materials and hardware will be included in the project budget and are not the responsibility of the artist. The Kenosha Mural Project will purchase the materials you need. This project plan is budgeted for paint projects. Projects with material expenses beyond the budget will require further discussion to ensure this project is right for both parties. 

If your medium is something other than paint you are more than welcome to submit a proposal with your choice of material and consideration of a wall or a mounted panel. These murals will be permanently installed outside so they will need to be capable of withstanding Wisconsin weather. (-31) to 105 Fahrenheit . If using a material other than paint please explain more in your application. 

The costs of lifts and insurance will not be the responsibility of the artist but will be paid through the Kenosha Mural Project 

Locations

Sites are currently being submitted via the website and as of March 18th we have 4 interested sites. We expect to have all the locations selected by the end of April, most murals will be located in downtown Kenosha. 

Content of Artwork 

Content of the murals must reflect a positive image of the city. Proposals with content that is political or commercial will not be approved. Words and symbols are allowed. 

Artists will be encouraged to create designs that reflect the city’s history, heritage, and local nature: Inspirational stories of residents or community milestones. This thematic diversity will ensure that each mural tells a unique story while contributing to the broader vision of the project.

The artist is welcome to include within the design of their artwork their name, social media handle or website, and the year. Murals will have a plaque installed on the wall near them that has a QR code that features the artist’s name and a sponsor’s name. 

The selection committee will assess artists based on the following criteria: 

• • •  Artistic merit and technical skill. 
    •  Connection of the artist’s vision to the project’s goals. 
    •  Experience with large-scale public art and mural installations. 
    • Demonstrated ability to complete projects on time and within budget.

Selection Process

A committee of diverse stakeholders will be assembled to evaluate applications. This will include: 

•  Local art professionals (curators, art professors, or muralists). 
•  Community leaders and business owners from downtown. 
•  Residents to provide community input.
  

 Emerging or less experienced artists will have the option to collaborate with experienced muralists as mentors, ensuring high-quality outcomes and skill-building. If this is something you are interested in you will be invited to state this in the artist application. Prints for this event will be kept by the Kenosha Murals Project. 

Notification of being Chosen

Submissions will be closed on Thursday, May 15th. Winners will be contacted between June 3rd and June 8th to accept the proposal. Winners will be announced publicly announced Monday, June 9th.  

Rights to Art

Within 3 years 

The building owner will sign a contract to maintain the art on their building for at least 3 years after the date of installation. Ordinary damages will be covered by the Kenosha Murals Project within the first three years. Any extraordinary measures such as graffiti will be covered by the mural project. The artist will not be personally or financially responsible for upkeep of this mural during these three years or after. 

 If the mural is in need of repairs it is the responsibility of the building owner to contact the Kenosha Mural Project. The Kenosha Creative Space or Kenosha Mural Project will then contact the artist first for repairs. If the mural is damaged and an artist is needed to repair it the mural artist will be contacted first to be hired and paid to perform repairs. If the artist is unavailable to do the repairs or unable to be contacted within one week then another artist can be contracted to perform the work.

 After 3 years 

If the mural is damaged beyond repair or is to be removed by the building owner the Kenosha Mural Project is promised to be notified by the building owner before the mural is removed. 

Reproductions

The artist in signing their contract gives up their sole rights to reproduction of their artwork. Copies of the artwork can be sold by both Kenosha Murals Project and the artist. Kenosha Murals Project will have ownership over the physical mural itself if it is painted on mounted panels. Reproductions can be used by both parties to sell for profit, used on social media, websites, and other other ways this art could be monetized. The artist still has ownership of their art and has the right to sell reproductions of their artwork in any way they see fit.

 Compensation

The artist will be compensated for their work receiving half of due payment once the work is installed and the other half within 90 days of installation.

 The artist is not required by the artist contract to fund raise for any amount of their budget. Any fundraising or invitations to donate will be done of their freewill. Costs of travel, room, or board  are not guaranteed within the artist contract.

If submitting through this online application is not your preference then please submit your completed application to Francisco@Kenoshamurals.org by 5:00 pm on Monday, April 29th. Questions can also be directed to this email.